1. Field
Embodiments relate to a bearing housing to support a drum and a shaft of a washing machine, and a manufacturing method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a washing machine includes a tub to contain wash water, a drum rotatably provided within the tub, a rotary shaft connected to the drum and extended to the outside of the tub, a bearing housing to rotatably support the rotary shaft, and a driving motor connected to the rotary shaft at the outside of the tub to rotate the drum.
The bearing housing to rotatably support the rotary shaft includes a bearing housing body connected to a rear wall of the tub, and a shaft support part formed at the center of the bearing housing body.
A bearing bush is inserted into the inner circumferential surface of a front end of the shaft support part, thus preventing movement of the bearing during rotation of the shaft.
The bearing housing is generally manufactured by die-casting using aluminum alloy as a material. The bearing bush is inserted onto the outer circumferential surface of a core mold to form the shaft support part of the bearing housing.
However, if the bearing bush inserted onto the outer circumferential surface of the core mold is deviated from its original position due to high-pressure injection of aluminum during die-casting, process defects may be generated during a manufacturing process of the bearing housing.